Suicidal tendencies can be determined by a blood test
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Specialists from the Baltimore Research University, D. Hopkins, conducted an analysis of the genomes of more than a thousand people who attempted suicide and identified a special gene for SKA2 in the blood in which a manifestation of suicidal tendencies can be established.
As the scientists note, the test allows you to identify a person who in the past tried to settle scores with life to an accuracy of 95%. According to experts, due to the analysis, it is possible to significantly reduce the level of suicides, in particular in the army and in other complex psychological situations.
In the public health system, the problem of suicide occupies a special place, and it is almost impossible to control problems of this kind.
In view of the fact that there is currently no way of pinpointing a person's suicidal tendencies, efforts to prevent and reduce the number of suicides have practically been reduced to zero.
Specialists from the research university believe that the test developed by them will identify people from the high-risk group and take the necessary measures in a timely manner.
The lead author of the project Zahari Kaminski noted that his team was able to learn how to calculate a possible suicide for blood analysis due to genetic research. Scientists conducted their experiments on the nerve cells of the brain of people who committed suicide. The authors of the research project extracted DNA strands from the cells and conducted a comparative analysis with neurons of those people who have never tried to put their hands on themselves.
Experts in addition to gene changes paid special attention to epigenetic features that could have a significant effect on suicidal tendencies.
A team of researchers was able to find the SKA2 gene, which is related to the manifestation of suicidal tendencies and to determine how people's behavior is affected by changes occurring in SKA2.
It was epigenetics that helped specialists notice a change in the DNA structure, since the structure of SKA2 in suicides is practically the same as that of ordinary people, except for the differences in the "packing" of the gene on which there were a large number of epigenetic labels on the upper layer of SKA2 in suicides that made the reading process almost impossible. In suicides, the protein level in this gene was significantly lower. Also, scientists noted that the gene was activated only in the nerve cells of the brain responsible for suppressing bad emotions, which can affect the appearance of suicidal thoughts. A low level of protein provokes an increase in the level of the hormone cortisol, which causes a depressed state and stress in a person.
After the experts identified a clear link between suicidal tendencies and the genetic work of the nervous system, scientists checked the possibility of identifying potential suicides. For this purpose, scientists collected more than three hundred volunteers and took from them blood samples, as well as salivary fluid, analyzed the structure of the genes of the participants in the experiment. Some volunteers in the past had an unsuccessful attempt to settle accounts with life, some needed psychiatric help to get rid of obsessive suicidal thoughts.
As expected, people who had a suicide attempt in the past experienced altered SKA2 genes. After this, the specialists developed a method for assessing suicidal tendencies, which was tested on new volunteers.
The new method showed good efficiency - in about 80% of cases, scientists were able to determine a person's suicidal tendencies, while in people with severe mental disorders, the accuracy of the test was higher.
The authors of the project themselves note that the blood test allows you to identify with almost 100% accuracy a person who in the past tried to commit suicide.
As the author of the project Z. Kaminsky points out, testing in the first place can be useful for the armed forces of many countries in which a high level of suicides during combat operations or in the middle of time. Also, a blood test will help in psychiatric practice to evaluate patients.
But while scientists can not say that they have made 100% correct conclusions and in the near future more large-scale clinical trials are planned.
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